Tigira's Backstory
by Sediera
Summary: This is the backstory to one of my character's in City of Heroes. It's an older story I stumbled across and thought I would post it anyways. This is in remembrance to a game I loved to play and always came back to.
1. Prologue

Fire, raging fire, people screamed and ran around senseless. The arachnos riot guards then came, shooting stun bullets into the raging mob. The screaming and the fire, it scared the little girl, so she ran away, she ran towards what she thought was a safe alley to hide in. Instead, the little girl was confronted by a gunfight between the Hellions, and the police. She screeched to a stop and looked in dismay at the gunfight, she turned around and could see that the riot was still going on, seemingly stronger than before. Then a sharp pain in her upper back in her shoulder. The small girl gasped in pain and stumbled towards the wall, she slid down and leaned against it. She could feel her life ebbing away, slowly, slowly, the gray fog descended. She didn't know how long she was there, suddenly, a black shadow, voices, the girl struggled to concentrate, to ask for help, but she couldn't. Her voice was lost, and her consciousness slipping, slowly slowly, the grey fog swallowed her up, and she remembered nothing.


	2. Chapter 1 (Tigira)

My eyes flew open and I sucked in a large breath.

_Who was that little girl? And why did she seem so familiar?_

I tried to get up, only to realize I couldn't. I only briefly wondered why until I heard a swish of fabric and some footsteps.

_Footsteps? Where are they?_

I tried to turn my head but I couldn't, I couldn't even move my face, just listen and look at the dust motes in the air.

_Dust motes?_

I looked at the dust motes, engrossed in the pretty colors, floating around; I looked around the room as much as my restricted body could. I was amazed in the details, the grains in the table, the small web a spider was making in the upper corner of the room, so many things. The swish of fabric came again and the footsteps, only the footsteps were different this time, lighter, more...female. My ears twitched towards the sound. Success, some movement, I then felt tingling in my face, I must have been too distracted to notice it in my ears, it was a very annoying feeling. Next I tried to see what else moved, my whiskers twitched.

_Whiskers? Did I always have whiskers?_

I searched my memory, but there was nothing there, just.. blankness. I was too disturbed to notice the the rest of my body was thawing until my foot twitched, then my other foot. I stopped pondering over my loss of memory and waited. The tingling continued up my body, with the occasional twitches from elbows, or knees, or another part of my body. When the tingling stopped, I spent the next few minutes slowly moving my body, and getting adjusted to it. I then learned I had paw-like feet, hands with sharp nails, a tail, and I could smell _everything_. The scents of the room smelled like... a hospital, very sterile smelling with bleach and some other cleaning materials. Then I paused, how did I know that a hospital looked like, much less smell like? Then a swarm of questions filled my head.

_Where was I? Who am I? __**What **__am I?_


	3. Chapter 2 (Tigira)

(Tigira)

Slowly I sat up and looked down my body, it was covered in...fur? Black and white striped fur. I scooted towards the end of the table I was lying on and dangled my feet? paws? over the edge. My tail slid from underneath me and twitched back and forth. I adjusted to my center of gravity, then slowly let myself down. I stood on my feet, yes definitely feet, for a moment then walked around. I kept walking until I became used to it and my muscles had time to loosen up. Then I trotted around, then I ran around the room. I even went to all fours and crawled up and down a wall, and discovered I like being on two feet better. I began inspecting the room I was in, there was a lot of white, white walls, white table, even white lights. I walked around the perimeter of the room, and discovered one wall was different than the others. The others had a grainy texture that was like..cement, this wall was smooth, like...glass. I tilted my head and put my hand on the wall, feeling it. My ears twitched and I heard footsteps again, the same female footsteps that passed by earlier.

The woman kept walking, her light footsteps nearly passed me when I heard her gasp, and something fall in a clatter. I tipped my head towards her, I could feel her startled breaths as she breathed very fast. I looked curiously in the direction, but I couldn't see anything. We stood there for a moment, she didn't move so I didn't. Then something broke the spell, I heard her walk away, and I shrugged and ran my hand along the wall. I then came upon a small crack in the wall. Curious, I followed it as high as I could reach, which wasn't the top, then I ran my hand along again and found another crack. Soon I figured out that the cracks were really a door. My ears twitched towards a sound coming from where the woman went too. There was the woman's footsteps, but there were two other footsteps following after her. I paused, trying to figure out what it was, one was heavier than the woman's so it was a man, but after theirs, was a softer one. I furrowed my brow trying to figure it out, but I couldn't. I snorted in frustration, and continued in trying to open the door. The footsteps continued and for a moment I thought that they would pass by me, but they stopped right in front of me. There was a pause, then the door _whooshed_ open, and startled, I jumped back somersaulted in the air, and landed in a crouch at the far wall. For a moment I was distracted, on how I did that. Then the visitor's scent washed over me.

I smelled fear and anxiety coming from the small woman in front, the man had some fear, but he was mostly calm. It was the third person that made my ears pin back against my head and a growl rise in my throat. The third person who walked in was male, but no human, he had a feral scent to him, and he radiated threat, he also looked like a tiger standing up. My tail lashed behind me and I crouched lower, my low growl morphing into a loud and threatening snarl, I was too focused on the third party to get distracted by my snarl. I narrowed my eyes and watched him, the third person, and measured the distance between us, my tail lashed more quickly and I shifted my weight. I saw as he noted my movements, and he narrowed his amber eyes, his lips curled back and he slightly crouched, his own tail lashing. The man said something about not fighting and threatening the little one. The tiger didn't take his eyes off me, but he responded to the man, I didn't pay them any attention, but focused more on the tiger. The man took a step towards me, the tiger snapped at him, but the man continued walking towards me, I reluctantly pulled my eyes from the tiger and looked at the man. I opened my mouth slightly and tasted his scent, though there was fear, there was no hint of anger, but calmness and serenity. My lashing tailed slowed, and my muscles began to loosen. I turned my head to examine the man completely, he nodded at me and smiled encouragingly.

"That's right, just calm down child, we don't mean to threaten you." he said. I tipped my head, and slowly stood up. He nodded encouragingly and smiled some more. I stood up fully and looked at the man, curious to know what he wanted.

"My, you are a pretty thing aren't you?" he asked. When I stood up, I was eye to eye, and he was, I guess, five ten. I tipped my head enough to look the man in the eye, knowing that I was exposing my neck to the tiger, even though it went against my instincts, I knew this man was in charge, not the tiger.

The man smiled, "Yes, you know who's in charge don't you? You are much smarter than when the others woke up, took them a couple of weeks for them to override their instincts." The man jerked his head at the tiger, who was now standing. I noticed he wore loose breeches on his legs and I couldn't help but wonder if I should wear some clothes too, I gave it about a half a second then discarded the thought; I don't care if I seemed naked, I was well covered and I knew it. I looked back at the man, and tipped my head in question. He smiled at me but I could see he was puzzled. I furrowed my brow for a moment, opened my mouth and asked the three words I so very much wanted to know.

"Who am I?"


	4. Chapter 3 (Tigrillo)

(Tigrillo)

I watched as Dr. Mcintosh stiffened in surprise, hell _I_ jerked in surprise. Cubs aren't suppose to be able to get over their instinct so quickly, one moment the snow tigress was crouched against the far wall, looking as ferocious as any wild animal, next thing I know, _bam_ the cub is standing up and even talking. I mean, it took me a week to master speech, and it took me three to master control over my instincts.

_Maybe its because the cub is a girl?_

I let my eyes wander over her figure. Sometimes its hard to figure out whether some of us animalia were boy or girl. There are several females in this institute, but none as obvious as her. She actually had curves, and her face, even though were mostly tiger with some human looks, it was finer, more delicate. I instantly snapped my eyes back to Dr. Mcintosh, as he tried to answer her question.

"Well, child, you are an animalia, a former human, injected with animal genes. As to who you are, well that's up to you." I watched as the tigress slightly narrow her blue eyes.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" asked confused

"Why inject former humans with animal genes?"

Then spouted the same crap he does that we always believed until we find out the truth, " We do it to better the human race so the citizens, when hurt, could replace what was lost." I watched as the tigress tilted her head and narrowed her eyes more to mere slits. I couldn't help but wonder if she bought the bogus story. She stood there for a moment, her mouth slightly open as if she could scent the lie there, and examined . I watched as the Doc started to fidget, then suddenly she stopped scrutinizing him and looked at the Doc, blue eyes wide and innocent.

_Oh she is good, _I thought.

"Okay then, but who am I?" she asked again.

"Well, usually the people who find you, often name you for the gene they want you to have. Since we only had the snow tiger gene left they might have named you for that." Ms. Joy put in. I then watched her become so flustered when the tigress looked at her, but her eyes were merely curious and zoned out. There was a pause and I watch the little tigress try to remember. She was out of it for so long _I_ began to zone out, when she spoke up I jumped in surprise, very much ruining my threatening image.

"My name is Tigira." she finally said.


	5. Chapter 4 (Tigrillo)

(Tigrillo)

I couldn't help but keep darting glance at little Tigira. The way she moved was just extremely interesting, it was fluid like she didn't just wake up minutes ago, and I couldn't even hear the soft pawsteps her feet were making as we walked along the hallway.

"So, we have your room ready for you, we didn't know that you were a girl so you're going to have to wait until one of the rooms been prepared in the female dormitories, until then you have an isolated room in the boys dormitories, so hopefully they won't bother you much." I addressed to her.

Tigira nodded. explained to her how they just give the gene to those who buy it and often they send the test subject here to grow and mature until they are ready to go. In other words, it was a blind guess to whether the test subject was a girl or a boy. I honestly thought it was stupid, but that's just me. I think they enjoy the surprises.

"You don't consider yourself like the other males?" she asked me. I don't know how she picked that up, but it was too true. I was one of the elite, I was actually made at the institute, so I wasn't too much of a screw up. I wasn't the only one, there were three others . We were the perfect balance of human and animal, the others were either too animal, or too human. Actually when I thought about it, this little tigress was a perfect balance as well.

"No not exactly. Me and a few others were the first test subjects. They don't plan on giving us back." It wasn't until the last moment that I realized what I said, _crap_.

"Giving back?" she echoed, " As in the people who bought the genes are given back their subjects to do what they want with right?"

"Uhhh..." I stuttered, but Tigira just smiled slightly at me, and we continued walking down the hallway. We reached the end and I palmed the door, and it opened. I was fervently wishing that there wasn't anyone out there. I was hoping to spend just a little more time with the interesting little snow tigress, but of course it was outside time for everyone. We stopped right outside the door, in front of us was the large open field, fenced in of course, with obstacle courses and everything to keep us fit.

We dawdled right outside the door for a moment, and then I couldn't take it anymore so I began to walk towards my friends; Panthero, Leopardo, and Lionio were all conjugated around the beginning of the animal obstacle course. Being animalia, we were able to transform fully into our animal genes, for me it was a bengal tiger, Panthero was a panther, Leopardo was a leopard and Lionio a lion. Our names probably hint at what we change into.

"Hey guys" I called to them as I walked over. Each answered back with a mix of 'hello's, 'hey's, and 'sup's.

"So where is the newest member of the institute, or was it too screwed up to take out?" Panthero asked, a sneer imbedded in his voice.

"Oh yeah! Guys this is-" I turned to introduce Tigira, only to find she wasn't behind me, or near the door.

"What the- she was right there!" I sputtered. There was just open space between where I stood and the door, and the others would have seen her too.

"Sure she was Tigrillo," Lionio said sarcastically, " and I suppose you want us to believe that the newest cub really was a girl, after the last disaster I wouldn't be surprised that they would decommission the next gene and forget anymore subjects all-together."

"What disaster?" piped in a voice, a voice I knew was Tigira's.

"Where are you?" I asked her, the guys were also confused and were looking around for the source of her voice. I felt a tug on the back of my pants and turned around to see her standing there, right behind me.

"Wha-? How did you get there?" I asked.

"I've been here, I just didn't want to show myself immediately. So I was hiding behind you. You are tall enough, and wide enough to hide two of me." she replied. I heard a snort of laughter to find Leopardo bent double and a hand over his muzzle. I growled playfully at him, but that only made him laugh harder. Leopardo stood up, still slightly laughing and pointed at Tigira.

"I don't know who the little tigress is, but she has got one thing right, you are really tall and really wide." I turned to look at Lionio and Panthero to see that both were giving Leopardo a disdainful look. The thing is, me, Lionio, and Panthero are about six feet tall and we are well muscled and therefore wide, Leopardo is the only one of the three of us who was small in stature and lean, like a runner.

While Leopardo was still laughing Panthero turned back to me and gestured to Tigira, "So, who is the little tigress?" he asked, I opened my mouth to answer, but she beat me too it, much to my regret, because she added attitude.

"Um hello? I can talk you know, I'm not stupid. My name is Tigira, and I'm, as you guys put it, the newest member of the institute. Although I'm going to have to say I'm not completely sure what you mean by screwed up, I'm interested to learn." I turned to look at her in dismay. Panthero has a superiority complex, or at least that's what me and the guys jokingly put it. However, I learned today that I was more scared of Tigira when she was really pissed off than Panthero, because right now she was radiating anger. She was standing, her feet braced and her arms crossed. Her eyes were barely narrow slits of ice blue and her tail was barely twitching just the tip, and I knew just then, what she showed me in the room when we first met was _nothing_ compared to how she was now.

I looked back at Panthero and I could tell that he was pissed off too, because he was slightly crouched and his lips were pulled back into the beginnings of a snarl. Me, Lionio, and Leopardo looked back and forth between the two of them for a second then quickly backed away. The three of us stood to the side of what I'm sure would end up as the fight of the history of the institute.

"Hey Tigrillo, you think she has a chance?" Lionio asked me.

"I have no idea dude, no idea at all."


	6. Chapter 5 (Tigira)

(Tigira)

Mad won't cover what I was feeling. Mad was a lesser feeling, I was seeing red.

I didn't like the comment that the lion looking animalia said, but it was the panther one that really got too me. I hated the way he asked who I was, so demeaning, as if I wasn't worth anything. It was also the look he gave me when he said it. No. That won't do. My instincts screamed at me to teach him his place, and this time, I listened. I saw they way the panther animalia responded to my sarcastic response to his question, I saw the flare of disbelief in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe someone opposed him. I saw, and understood, that this panther animalia won't accept me until I proved my worth.

"Come on Panthero, she just woke up. Give her a bit to learn some good attitude." called the lion animalia. Panthero just snarled, and then he lept. My only thought was,

_He should have waited until I came over there. _

It felt like I was moving in a dream. Everything slowed down, and I could focus too well it nearly scared me. I used Panthero's momentum against him, by stepping off to the side, grabbing one of his arms and bending it behind him. We landed in a crash, with me on his back, keeping his arm folded up behind him in a lock I'm sure was painful. I crouched between his shoulder blade on a pressure point I'm sure was there. I then bent down so my muzzle was level with his ears.

"You need to learn humility, and at the hand of me, who is so short and a female on top of that, I'm sure it will stick." I whispered to him. Panthero's only response was to snarl at me, and use his superior strength to break out of my hold. I flipped off his back and landed a good five feet from him. He spun around and snarled at me.

"You teach me humility?! HAH!" and he launched himself at me again only more carefully. The fight really began then, Panthero attacked me in earnest. His kicks and punches were lightning fast, but I was faster. For a while I just dodged, memorizing his fighting style.

"What you too scared to actually fight me?" Panthero taunted.

I didn't answer, there was no need. A moment later I saw my opening, and flat palmed him in his nose. Panthero roared back in pain. and I took the opportunity to trip him onto his back, land on his chest on a certain point where his ribs converge, and to slide out my claws to point at his throat. There was a beat of silence when Panthero realized his predicament. He couldn't move his arms because if he did, I would break his ribs, or slit his throat much faster before he could throw me off. I held his eyes for a long moment, and I saw it, the glimmer of defeat.

"Yield" I said calmly, despite my want to gloat over my victory, I made sure not to allow it into my eyes, else he would fight more.

Panthero tried to slew his eyes to the side, but I held his gaze until he spoke the words I wanted to hear, with contrite and humbleness.

"I yield." He said, loud enough to be heard by his friends. I nodded and leapt off of him. I then offered Panthero a hand, and I was immensely pleased when he took it. Granted I couldn't help him up all the way, but my silent offer to meet with him halfway was accepted. I looked up at him when he was standing and I could see new-found respect in his eyes, I then glanced over to the others and saw it there too.

"You are one hell of a fighter, did you know fighting in your past life?" Panthero asked me. I opened my mouth then closed it.

_How did I know how to fight that way? There is no way to know since I don't remember who I was in my past life._

I looked up at Panthero and shook my head regretfully. "I wouldn't know, I don't remember my past life, when I woke up in that room, that's when my life began, I was just a void before then."

"That's not unusual, some of us don't remember our past lives because we don't want too or we really just lost our memories after the procedure." the leopard animalia piped up. I turned around to see him walk towards me, when he came level to Panthero, he gave a bit of bow.

"My name is Leopardo, and I am charmed to meet you." he slightly rolled the 'r' in his name. Leopardo looked up from his bow and grinned ravishingly at me. I couldn't help but grin back, next was the lion animalia. He stuck out his hand and I uncertainly stuck out mine, he grasped my forearm and getting the gist I grasped his.

"My name is Lionio." he said, saying his 'i' s more like long 'e' s. We shook once, a good hard shake then he slid his hand from mine. I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around and looked up to the tiger animalia, who's name I didn't catch at first.

"We've met," I grinned at that, "but I never properly introduced myself." He gave a flourish of a bow, and took my hand and lightly kissed it, "Tigrillo, lovely lady." I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Leopardo muttered, "Show off." and I laughed harder.

I knew I was going to enjoy it here.


	7. Chapter 6 (Tigrillo)

(Tigrillo)

Tigira fit right in the institute, it was like she was always there. All of us felt like we knew her since we first got there. It really felt as if we were missing a puzzle piece, and she was it. As me and the guys spent time with her, I noticed a pattern on how each of us treated her.

Ever since Tigira beat Panthero in that fight, I noticed that he treated her with respect. Sometimes I would walk into the gym, intending to do some workouts, and I would find Panthero and Tigira in the fighting rink. She would often be teaching him new moves or how to use his strength to a greater advantage. Sometimes I would watch them, other times I would join them. Tigira was a patient teacher, and she made Panthero a better fighter, if that was possible.

With Lionio, I think it was she was somehow a competitor for him. Often me, Panthero, and Leopardo, would watch as Lionio and Tigira would sometimes fight, race or go over an obstacle course. Sometimes Tigira would win, most of the time Lionio would win. One day I asked her if she was purposely letting Lionio win, all she did was give me a secret smile and ask: "Now why would I do that?"

I wasn't sure how it developed, but I noticed Leopardo regarded Tigira as a younger sister. Leopardo would often feel left out because Panthero, Lionio, and I were all taller, and stronger than him. Leopardo was the fastest, and most flexible, but it seemed to me that it wasn't the same. With Tigira, who was just as fast as him, and just as flexible, he was happy again. I would sometimes come outside to the yard, to find the two of them doing some sort of odd acrobatic feat that would make my stomach turn at the thought of even trying to do it.

A month or two passed since Tigira arrived, and I noticed that one, by one, the other animalia who weren't institute made were gone, either scrapped or given back to the people who bought them in the first place. It was the night after the last animalia, the one before Tigira, left that I realized something.

_What if Tigira left?_

Then a sharp pain in my chest, so sharp that it made me gasp. I realized I didn't want her to leave. The thought of her leaving hurt, no more than that, it felt like a part of me would die if she left. It was that night, that I realized something more important.

_I love her_.


	8. Chapter 7 (Tigrillo)

(Tigrillo)

I was standing nervously outside Tigira's door. It was late at night, right after lights out, and really I shouldn't be here at all. I hardly do this, but sometimes, if I want to ask her something important, I would come by. Somehow in the past few month, me and the guys began to regard Tigira as some sort of leader, so we would stop by her room if we needed something and she wasn't around to ask it.

I swallowed and lightly tapped on the door, three quick raps, and three slower ones. I'm not sure how that ended up, but that is how we all knock on her door. There was a pause, and I heard some shuffling, and the sound of bare feet slapping the floor.

_Wait. __**Bare**_ _feet?_

A moment later, a girl, of about the age of sixteen, opened the door. She was pale, practically white, with some red in her cheeks, and heart shaped lips. She had ruffled black as night hair, but it only enhanced her looks. She looked up at me, and I was looking into Tigira's sky blue eyes.

"T-Tigira?" I asked in surprise. The girl peered at me blurrily, then yawned. I noticed she had longer canines than a normal human's and when she was done yawning, two ears popped out, cat version ears of Tigira's usual tiger ones. Again the girl peered up at me.

"Yeah? Why are you here so late Tigrillo?" she asked. I stared dumbfounded at Tigira for a moment. She managed to access her human form already, when it took me a year to figure out mine! I shook my head at here and a rumbling laugh came from my belly.

"You were always quick to figure out all your powers huh?" I asked her. Tigira flashed me a human smile, her white teeth glinting in the gloom. She waved me inside and I walked in. Her room was a mix of whites and greys, and blacks, what she imagine would be a snowy area like in the mountain. Every once in awhile, she would throw in a green, some blue or maybe some brown, but the colors remain relatively the same. I glanced over to her bed, and I saw that the sheets were ruffled, but more like she was laying on them instead of sleeping.

"We didn't see you today, the guys and I were wondering what happened." I mentioned when I noticed she was staring.

"Hmmm? Oh the doc was running check-ups. Apparently the people who bought my genes want to meet with to talk about some thing or another. So-"

"The doc was running a check up too see where you were in your development." I finished for her, my heart twisting as I said the words, knowing the meaning behind it.

"Right, they plan on telling me the outcome tomorrow." she said to me, but I barely heard, I was turned away from her, so she wouldn't see the way my were lips pulled back, and a beginning of a whine was stuck in my throat. One or two oily tears rolled down my muzzle and I hastily wiped them away. I then felt a gentle pressure on my arm and I turned towards it to find Tigira, back in her half-human half-tiger form peering up at me worriedly.

"Tigrillo?" she asked, concern laced in her voice. I sighed and ran my hand over my ears and down to the back of my head and looked at her and tried to give her my best smile. But she knew, she always knew when I was upset, out of the three of us, she was most in tune with me. For a moment I hoped it was because she may have liked me more than a friend, but the way she looked at me now.. with just concern for a friend, I knew it wasn't that.

"It's nothing, I shouldn't have bothered you, I know how rough the testing can be, been through a few myself." I said, trying to bluff her off, but she wouldn't be put off.

She narrowed her eyes some and just stared at me, without fail I began buckling under that stare.

"Something is wrong Tigrillo, don't try hiding it. You wouldn't come towards the middle of the night just to ask if I was okay."

"Yes I would!" I blurted out, then cursed myself, why oh why did I say that?

She widened her eyes, "Why?" she asked mystified.

"Because.."

She tipped her head, slightly lowering her lids, and looked at me some more.

"Because?" she prompted.

I looked down at her and looked her in the eyes, refusing to look away. Willing her to see the answer there. We stood there for only a moment or two, then her eyes widened when she saw it. I waited for rejection, disgust, anything really, instead her eyes softened into a deep sapphire blue. I stared at her uncomprehendingly for like, one moment, then cautiously, I drew her in. My arms encircled her and I felt hers go around my waist. I felt her relax against me and I held her tighter unable to believe that I was actually holding her. The one thing in this life that seemed so out of reach. The institute spoiled us, but never thought to give us mates. Then Tigiria arrived, and she changed all that for me, but she seemed disinterested and I was too afraid to even try. I rested my chin on her head and sighed contentedly.

"You know, I've been wanting to do this for a while now." I murmured her.

"So why didn't you?" she asked, amusement tinged her voice.

"I was scared I suppose." I answered.

"You scared? No! Really?" she teased.

"Scared to lose you in any way. If you rejected me, you might have stayed away from me, and I would rather have you as a friend then not have you at all." I told her.

She shifted away from me, I wanted to resist but thought better of it, but she didn't go far, just enough to lean back and look at me.

"I would have never have left you, never." she told me vehemently. I seriously doubted it, and she saw that, and some anger sparked in her eyes. Her arms slid out from around my waist and I thought that _this was it, she is leaving me_. However, all she did was bring her arms around my neck. She then stood on tiptoe, and gently lick the underside of my chin, I felt the gentle rasp of her tongue go through the soft fur there, and a purr rumbled up from the chest. She then brought my head down and placed her forehead against mine.

"I would have never have left you because I care about you too much, both as a friend and more. Should you have confessed to me earlier, I may have been surprised, but not put off. In fact there was a high chance I would have returned your feelings like I am now." She whispered to me.

It was in that moment that I knew, Tigira will always have my heart, like I will always have hers.


	9. Chapter 8 (Tigira)

(Tigira)

Tigrillo and I stood there for who knows how long, our foreheads against each others and our breaths mingling. After a while I stirred, and Tigrillo shifted his position. I felt him lick the top of my head and wash my ears. I purred and held still until he was done. I then tipped my head up and moved my hand from his neck to cup his cheek. He leaned into it and his purring became so loud it began to vibrate me. I couldn't help it, I laughed.

Tigrillo opened his eyes, "What are you laughing at?" he asked confused.

I smiled, "You, you big lug, your purring so hard its vibrating me."

"I'm not purring I'm rumbling." he said indignantly, but not once taking his face from my hand. I softly laughed as I used my thumb to stroke his cheek, Tigrillo's 'rumbling' became more apparent. I sighed in regret after a moment.

"You need to go, it's late and I would like to sleep." I said, a hint of regret tinged my voice.

"I could stay...?" Tigrillo hinted hopefully. I shook my head regretfully,I then gently, but firmly, pulled out of his embrace. I immediately felt cold, as if I left the side of a cozy fire, I could see that Tigrillo felt the same as well, because for a moment I saw him shiver.

"You need to go, they would be coming into my room early to check up on me and tell me the news." I told him. He looked a little regretful, but he walked out of the door when I showed him out. I stared at the closed door for a moment, then changed back to the more human form, and walked back to my bed and settled down for the night.

I dreamed, or more like had a nightmare that night. It was the same nightmare of the little girl, of the fire, of the pain, and the swallowing darkness. I gasped awake, jolting up from my bed, and earning a squeak of surprise from who just walked into the door.

"I'm sorry Ms. Joy a bit of a nightmare is all." I apologized to her.

"It's alright dear, we all get nightmare every once in a while." She sat on my bed, "Would you like to tell me about it?" she asked. I nodded, then rattled off exactly what I dreamed, a dream that has haunted me since I woke up, since it was my very first memory. Ms. Joy was quiet the whole time, and then she shifted so she faced me on the bed fully.

"There is a chance that this nightmare of your is no nightmare at all, but your last memory of you as a human."

"But that's impossible!" I exclaimed, "The girl I saw in my nightmare was no older than five maybe six!"

"Yes well, that is a bit of a problem huh?" Ms. Joy said, furrowing her brow. Then her pager buzzed. She glanced down at it and then sighed.

"Well, talk time is over, time to get dressed and to meet the head of the management. Remember dear, keep your human form, the head knows you will have a tail and ears, expecting it actually, but I doubt he wants to see you in your semi-beastial form okay?" I nodded and then got up and walked over to my dresser. I pulled out some black jeans, some long socks, and a blue semi-formal cami. After pulling on the clothes, I looked for my black combat boots. Once I found them, under the freaking bed, I pulled them on and opened the door.

and I walked down many hallways until we came into a large meeting area. After the usual greetings, I sat across from the head of the institute and braced myself for bad news.

"Well, you're staying here." he said, practically getting right to business. I stared uncomprehendingly at him for a bit.

"What?" I asked confused. He then launched into some long speech telling me on how the people who bought my genes were discovered and all their experiments discontinued and blah, blah, blah, but the only thing I was thinking about was that I could stay here! I could stay with Tigrillo and the others!

"Of course we are going to have to conduct the surgery and insert you reducing chip." the head said, causing me to snap back to reality and look at him alarmingly.

"What?!" I asked again, only more alarmed.

"Oh its nothing, just a small chip to make sure that you don't go and do something that might hurt yourself or the others." he said offhandedly. I conducted that to mean that they can control me and punish me whenever they feel that I threatened them.

Oh _hell_ no.


	10. Chapter 9 (Tigrillo)

(Tigrillo)

I was on cloud nine, completely at ease and totally content. I sighed and ignored the 'whispered' conversation the guys were having, right in my doorway. Yep, totally _not_ going to hear every word they say.

"So what's wrong with him?" Lionio asked.

"I have no idea, never seen him just lie in bed like that, all spaced out." Leopardo answered.

"He's in love idiots, and by the way he is blissed out, his feelings have been returned." Panthero said, not even bothering to lower his voice.

"What?! In love?!" Lionio exclaimed.

"Ahh, finally, I was wondering when it was going to happen." Leopardo said.

"Wait you knew?!" Lionio asked in surprise at Leopardo. By this time, I have turned on my side and was watching the conversation.

"Well, Tigira is a tiger, and Tigrillo is a tiger.. just put two and two together and..it's that simple really. " Lepardo said, while rolling his eyes.

Panthero looked at me and asked, "So how did you tell her?"

"I didn't have too." I responded, smiling slightly. Panthero nodded, knowing exactly how I felt. He once loved a female, she was a panther too, an albino pather, but still a panther. However she wasn't institute made, and whoever injected the genes didn't balance her out, and she went into melt down, nearly destroying half of the institute with her, and in the end, they had to put her down. Ever since then, the institute put the reducing chip in us four, to make sure we don't do the same.

Leopardo was about to open his mouth when we all froze, the was the sound of booted feet running towards us, and then some sounds of fighting. I quickly got up and ran to the door, and then ran with the other guys as we followed the sound out into the yard, what we found shocked us.

There was Tigira, fighting in both her human, and bestial-human form, shifting back and forth between the two at blinding speed. She was fighting off a horde of security guys, or at least, what used to be a horde. Twenty of them was lying unconscious, or dead, I couldn't tell, on the floor. The last five that were fighting her went down, and she stood there in humanoid form breathing heavily, her feet were bare, and her hands were clenched. Me and the guys just stood there, looking at the damage, there was even a trail leading to another door where, no doubt there were more guards.

I walked cautiously towards Tigira, unsure whether she was in some kind of berserker mode or something. She looked at me and I froze, and I let fear pass through my eyes, I should have never have done and I will forever regret it, because Tigira collapsed where she stood, and heartrending sobs came from where she was kneeling.

Instantly I ran to her, shifting to my own humanoid form, and I had her in my arms, quieting her and stroking her hair. The others soon followed me, silent but watchful, guarding us from who knows what.

"What happened?" I murmured to her. She looked up at me, call me crazy but she was pretty when she cried. Tigira silently reached up around to the back of my neck and touched the skin where the chip was embedded underneath. I instantly understood, and I felt a deep chill run through my body. The second most thing I feared for her was her losing her freedom, like the guys and I have.

"I have to get out of here. I have to leave." she whispered.


	11. Chapter 10 (Tigrillo)

(Tigrillo)

After grabbing a shirt, me, Leopardo, Panthero, and Tigira, were running through the streets of the island the institute was on. Mercy Island, of the Rogue Isles, underneath the control of Lord Recluse. Really if you look at it, the guy is a villain, but that didn't matter, what mattered was getting Tigira off the Rogue Isles, and I knew how.

"Leopardo, wait for the people from the institute here, and make sure no arachnos gets in the way." I said. We stopped for a moment, letting Tigira said goodbye, before we had to move on.

"I still think you guys should come with me." she muttered to me and Panthero.

"We explained this too you. We have the chips implanted in us, we can't go. But you have a chance at freedom, and you shouldn't be controlled, you have that wild spirit we all have, and we need you to live it for us." Panthero said, a tad harsher than I thought he should. He then softened his voice as if he knew that he spoke too harsh the first time.

"We need you too live free for us, Lionio, Leopardo, and I will each distract them. Tigrillo will get you to the boat, and make sure they don't follow you until you are well out of sight." Panthero smiled at Tigira slightly, then stopped. I watched as Tigira said goodbye to him, a tear leaking from her eye. Panthero gently wiped it from her face.

"Be strong, and live freely." he told her, before he broke off down a side street.

Tigira and I ran in silence until we reached the dock. It was underneath the shadow of the wall around Mercy island, and therefore less likely to be noticed. We stopped and I turned to her and she looked up at me.

"You have the papers I gave you, it should buy you the ticket into Paragon." I looked down at Tigira, her lips were slightly parted and she was shaking her head slowly. I cupped her cheek, and she leaned into it, I gently stroked her face.

"Even if they make me forget you, I will always remember you in my heart," the warning blow from the horn sounded from the ship. "You need to go." I told her.

She looked up at me then hugged me fiercely. She reluctantly let me go and turned to go onto the ship. I thought about kissing her and shrugged.

_What the hell I got nothing else to lose. _

I caught up with her, she was almost to the ramp, and spun her around. Then I bent down swiftly and kissed fully on the lips, and she, without hesitation, kissed me back.

And I savoured our first, and last kiss.

I watched as she and the ship slowly disappeared over the horizon, tears silently sliding down my cheeks.

_ No matter what, I will always love you. _I silently promised to her.

I will always love you.


	12. Epilouge (Tigira)

(Tigira)

After stepping foot in Independence Port, Paragon City I wandered into an alleyway and slowly slid down a wall. I sat there for who knows how long, knees up to my chest, and totally numb to the world. After a bit, I slowly woke up, and I noticed a sound at the end of the alleyway, the sounds of fighting.

Curious, I followed the sound, and the alleyway emptied me to another street, where there was a huge fight going on. In the middle was an angel, or at least I think she was an angel. She was fighting off what I recognized as arachnos. The angel stood in front of a warehouse, and was alternating between firing arrows, and shooting ...bubbles? out of her hands. When I listened, I could hear the sound of sick people inside the warehouse. All I thought was:

_She could use some help._

Five minutes later, the arachnos was defeated and I was standing in front of her in my bestial-human form. The angel looked at me, not at all repulsed by what I looked like, and smiled in gratitude.

"My name is Angelica, and thanks for the help, I've been getting attacked so much I hardly have time to treat my patients." she told me.

I looked at her for a moment, then offered her my hand, "My name is Tigira, and I think I could help you with that, if you'll let me."

She smiled and took my forearm, a familiar feeling that nearly made choke up.

"Deal."


End file.
